Bolivian textile crafts and the subversion of institutionalized sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-100
Author(s):  
Berea Antaki ◽  
Katalin Medvedev
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
First Century ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
La Paz ◽  
Apparel Production ◽  
The Government ◽  
National Constitution ◽  
Indigenous Cosmology ◽  
Depth Interviews

This article describes the tensions between institutionalized and grassroots forms of sustainability and their subsequent effects on textile artisans in La Paz, Bolivia. Principles of the indigenous cosmology Suma Qamaña are applied to the twenty-first-century challenge of environmental degradation and governmental corruption in the description of craft practices at two artisan collectives in La Paz. Suma Qamaña is an expression of the harmonious and respectful coexistence of humans with nature, which entails communal values and reciprocal resource management principles. The study highlights grassroots, practical solutions that encourage economic and environmental sustainability for textile cooperatives in Bolivia. Through extensive participant observation and in-depth interviews, this study seeks to understand how the lives of artisans are affected by the Bolivian government’s appropriation of the Suma Qamaña cosmology. The current political party, the Movimiento al Socialismo, has gained popular support in Bolivia partly by institutionalizing the inherent rights of nature in the national constitution. Despite this, the government continues to pursue extractive natural resource policies. To counter this, Bolivian textile artisans practise their own version of bottom-up sustainability, which does not rely on government institutions to enforce change. The artisans’ situated practices, traditional knowledge base and the inherently sustainable characteristics of craft production ‐ flexible, small-scale, localized and resilient ‐ reflect potential trends and alternatives for apparel production.

scholarly journals Small-Scale Fishing and Sustainability. An Ethnographic Approach to the Case of Self-Employed Fishermen in the South-East of Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10542
Author(s):  
Gabriel López-Martínez ◽  
Klaus Schriewer ◽  
Víctor Meseguer-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Commodity Production ◽  
Fisheries Policy ◽  
The Common ◽  
Wage Earners ◽  
Depth Interviews

Small-scale fishermen, in contrast to industrial fishing boats, develop a sustainable relationship with their activity from three perspectives: social, economic, and environmental. From this hypothesis, we analyze the ethnographic material obtained in extensive fieldwork (in-depth interviews and participant observation) developed in the four main ports of the region of Murcia (Spain). From this field work the existence of two other types of fishermen (life-modes) besides small-scale fishermen is derived: small entrepreneurs and wage-earners. In different proportions, all three share the consequences of the various reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Despite the similarities, this paper shows different strategies, in each of the cases, that justify their permanence in their activity, taking into account the labor modality, as well as their relationship with the idea of sustainability. Conclusions show that because small-scale self-employed fishermen are involved much more than the two other life-modes in the totality of tasks related to their profession in that they own both the means and relations of production (simple commodity production), they are best placed to achieve social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Fostering Environmental Performance Management within Indian SMEs

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Gurudas Nulkar
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Industrial Markets ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Depth Interviews

Research and discussions on environmental sustainability of businesses generally focus on large corporations. Their environmental impacts are more likely to be noticed while small and medium enterprises (SME) are largely ignored. With a small scale of operations, SMEs are generally perceived to have less environmental impacts. However, as larger corporations outsource their manufacturing to SMEs the environmental burden shifts within their supply chain. This research was conducted within manufacturing SMEs in industrial markets (B2B) in Pune, India. In depth interviews with large and small firms helped develop the conceptual model and the questionnaire. Responses from 60 SMEs were analysed. The research identified factors like owner awareness, barriers and influencers to green practices and categorized environmental practices within product life cycle. The results showed that owners with high awareness levels had advanced environmental activities. The strength of barriers and influencers was established and the author makes recommendations based on these findings.

scholarly journals Beyond ‘Family Planning’—Local Realities on Contraception and Abortion in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
Seydou Drabo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Family Planning ◽  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Modern Contraceptive ◽  
Care Seeking ◽  
Contraceptive Methods ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Government

Family planning has long been promoted within international health efforts because of its potential benefits for controlling population growth, reducing poverty and maternal and child mortality, empowering women, and enhancing environmental sustainability. In Burkina Faso, the government and donor partners share a commitment to ‘family planning’, notably by increasing the low uptake of ‘modern’ contraceptive methods in the general population and reducing recourse to induced abortion, which remains legally restricted. This paper presents ethnographic findings that show the complexity of family planning within the social context of women’s lives and care-seeking trajectories. It draws on participant observation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital, and interviews with women with a wide range of reproductive experiences and providers of family planning services. First, the paper shows that women’s use of contraceptive methods and abortion is embedded in the wider social dilemmas relating to marriage, sexuality, and gendered relationships. Second, it shows that women use contraceptives to meet a variety of needs other than those promoted in public health policies. Thus, while women’s use of contraceptive methods is often equated with family planning within public health research and health policy discourse, the uses women make of them imbue them with other meanings related to social, spiritual, or aesthetic goals.

scholarly journals Implications for Asset Management in the Broadcasting Industry arising from Industrial Revolution 4.0

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3S) ◽  
pp. 170-175
Keyword(s):  
Asset Management ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Production Operation ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Broadcasting Industry ◽  
Media Asset Management ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
The Internet Of Things

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the Internet of Things pose numerous challenges for broadcasters in Malaysia. Archiving content and production workflow are critical in the transition to the digital environment. Issue of resource expansion and loss of opportunity among small and medium-sized broadcasters are a result of technological disruption at the advent of IR 4.0. Large amount of content requires digitisation following new quality control (QC) standards in the transition to digitalisation. In this exploratory study, a scalable media asset management (MAM) solution especially for small-scale content providers is proposed. The aim is to establish: (1) the challenges experienced by audio-visual archives, (2) metadata features for effective MAM processes and (3) efficiency among talents to facilitate large volume of transactions in the MAM workflow. In this qualitative research, face-to-face in-depth interviews with broadcasters, content providers and vendors at their respective premises and participant observation and content analysis were conducted at production operation centres and production houses to understand their issues. A compliance criteria model compatible to their workflow is proposed.

scholarly journals Unregistered Polygamous Marriage of Civil Servants and its Implication for Wives’ Financial Problem, Social Fate and Loss of Children’s Welfare

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-318
Author(s):  
Novita Dewi Masyithoh ◽  
Sut eki ◽  
Yuna nto ◽  
Briliyan Ernawati ◽  
Nur Hidayati
Keyword(s):  
Government Regulation ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Civil Servant ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Financial Problem ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Main Requirement ◽  
Polygamous Marriage ◽  
The Government ◽  
Depth Interviews

Unregistered polygamous marriage carried out by civil servants has serious implication for wives’ financial problem, social fate and loss of children’s welfare. The Marriage Law allows polygamy with very strict requirements. In the Government Regulation governing civil servant polygamy, justice is the main requirement in polygamy, because it really determines welfare in polygamy families. Based on the results of in-depth interviews and participant observation by using the constructivism paradigm and socio-legal approaches, it was found that unregistered polygamous marriages carried out by civil servants have implication for the disciplinary punishment of employees, so the polygamists got the sack. This implies their family economic problems, because there is not enough income to meet the needs of family life. Finally, neglect and divorce occur. Wives and children will be victims. Hence, it is necessary for the government to regulate particular policies for the polygamists of civil servants, to save their wives and children’s life. Firing the polygamists is not such a solution, but will instead create more complicated problems for their families.

Constraints and motivations to sanitation business in peri-urban communities in Ghana

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Nimoh ◽  
Kofi Poku ◽  
Kwasi Ohene-Yankyera ◽  
Flemming Konradsen ◽  
Robert C. Abaidoo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Financial Benefits ◽  
Private Sector Participation ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Government ◽  
Depth Interviews

Ghana lags behind the Millennium Development Goals' target for sanitation, despite widespread effort by the central government. Lessons from the historical shortcomings of Ghana's sanitation policy now call for public–private partnership in the management of sanitation in Ghana. Using observations and in-depth interviews with small-scale sanitation service providers, this study investigated the constraints and motivations of sanitation-related businesses in peri-urban communities in the Ningo–Prampram district of Ghana. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analyses and reporting. The study found that there exist various sanitation-related businesses such as masons/latrine builders, hardware suppliers and pit-emptier, in the study area whose activities are constrained by some financial, logistical, institutional and social challenges which limit their performance. Nonetheless, the operation of a sanitation business in the study communities was found profitable, and service providers are motivated by the financial returns and other non-financial benefits to remain and continue in their respective businesses. Policy efforts by the government and other stakeholders toward addressing the constraints to sanitation business are crucial for increased private sector participation and better service delivery to all stakeholders in the sanitation market, and the Ghanaian economy as a whole.

scholarly journals Perception of Small-Scale Miners on Interventions to Eradicate Illegal Small-Scale Mining in Ghana

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402096366
Author(s):  
Rejoice Selorm Wireko-Gyebi ◽  
Michael Osei Asibey ◽  
Owusu Amponsah ◽  
Rudith Sylvana King ◽  
Imoro Braimah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Illegal Mining ◽  
Environmental Friendly ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
The Government ◽  
Sustainable Health

The proliferation of illegal mining in Ghana, coupled with its environmental impacts, especially on water bodies has compelled the government to ban all artisanal small-scale mining (ASM) activities in the country. The ban is intended to promote environmental sustainability while the government takes steps to provide sustainable health, and environmental-friendly ASM in Ghana. This paper assesses the perception of registered miners on the current approach by the Ghanaian government to stop illegal mining. Analyses of data from focus group discussions and key informant interviews revealed that the miners felt “left out” of the entire process. They maintained that they were not directly involved in the process to ban illegal mining in Ghana. To them, the proliferation of illegal mining in Ghana is the result of non-performing government institutions, corruption, and cumbersome licensing procedures. The article calls for improvement in the collaboration between the government and miners through a simplified participatory framework for the management of ASM in Ghana.

scholarly journals Contextual interpretation of COVID-19 pandemic among public space users in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria: An ethnographic review

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0259631
Author(s):  
Mofeyisara Oluwatoyin Omobowale ◽  
Eniola Adetola Bamgboye ◽  
Akinfemi Akinyode ◽  
Olugbenga Samuel Falase ◽  
Taiwo Olabode Ladipo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Sexual Life ◽  
The Public ◽  
Political Propaganda ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
The Government ◽  
Wrath Of God ◽  
Depth Interviews

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all dimensions of lives and has become a social problem as it continues to spread widely through the continuous interactions of people in public spaces where they earn a living. Curbing the spread of COVID-19 requires restrictions in these public spaces, however, the compliance to these measures depends largely on the understanding and interpretations of COVID 19 by users of these public spaces. This study examined the contextual interpretations of public space users about COVID-19 prevention in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State. The study was a rapid ethnographic survey in selected public spaces (markets and commercial motor parks) in Ibadan metropolis. Data were collected through participant observation, key informant interviews (3 females; 3 males) and in-depth interviews (30) with, traders, head porters, clients/buyers and commercial vehicle drivers in these public spaces. Interviews conducted were transcribed, sorted into themes using Atlas-ti 7.5.7 and subjected to interpretive-content analysis. Findings revealed that some respondents felt COVID-19 was brought into Nigeria by rich frequent global voyagers, others felt it was through “uncultured” sexual life or wrath of God. Some also doubted the existence of the disease and many of the respondents perceived COVID-19 as a disease reported by the government or a political propaganda to siphon funds. The users of the public spaces in Ibadan Metropolis have variegated perception about the existence and severity of this rapidly spreading virus and this has grave implications for COVID-19 control in the State. Thus, regular interaction with public space users are essential for control efforts.

scholarly journals Policy Formulation of The Marine Governance In The Coastal Southern Lebak Regency Banten Province

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-571
Author(s):  
Delly Maulana ◽  
Arif Nugroho
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Coastal Area ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Marine Resources ◽  
Local Revenue ◽  
Marine Management ◽  
Marine Governance ◽  
The Government ◽  
Depth Interviews

This paper is aimed to explain the presence of marine potentials in the southern coastal area of Lebak Regency, Banten Province that have not been fully exploited. There are several potentials found in this Regency, the extensive coastline of approximately 91.42 km², and the marine resources and fisheries that could be developed. The potentials include not only fisheries and tourism but also mining. With such a high rate of development in the coastal area of Lebak Regency, it will certainly cause various problems in the region such as First, the degradation of coastal and marine ecosystems in Lebak Regency; Second, the increasing intensity of environmental pollution caused by mining and extraction activities; Third, the vulnerability to natural disasters (abrasion, tsunami, erosion, climate change, et cetera); Fourth, the occurrence of area utilization conflict; and Fifth, low productivity of biological marine resources utilization. The method used in this study was a qualitative research method with in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation. The results show that two issues become marine management problems in the southern coastal area of Lebak Regency, the first is environmental degradation, the second is space use conflicts, and the third is waste pollution due to organic and non-organic waste. Meanwhile, actor mapping shows that the government, in this case, the Regent as the authority in the area, has the power, influence, and interest to give input to the marine management of the Southern Coast of Lebak Regency so that it would not only increase the local revenue but also have a significant effect on the local communities, especially the fisher people and, and the environmental sustainability.

scholarly journals Social and Economic Impact of the Colon Night Market to Small Scale Vendors

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoniette M.  Almaden ◽  
Julie Ann Veloso
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
City Government ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The Government ◽  
The City ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Method Analysis

Colon is the oldest street in the Philippines.  It used to be the center of trade and commerce decades ago. The study aimed to determine the vendor demographics and the positive and adverse effects of the city government-organized Colon Night Market Program on the night market vendors in Cebu City, Philippines. Impact Value Chain and Social Return on Investment Method Analysis were used. Two survey questionnaires were prepared: one administered to the vendors that benefited the night market program, and another set was conducted to the customers. The results were validated by in-depth interviews. The study discovered that Muslim-Filipino vendors constituted the group of vendors with the highest proportion while the homegrown Cebuanos constituted the least number. The affirmative effects of the program were identified: better income and improved quality of life for the individuals, creation of more jobs, an offering of better deals and lower price, and the building of camaraderie among vendors. There were also a few negative issues identified. It was also discovered that there is $6.44 dollars for every one dollar invested by the government. It is recommended that the program is operated year-round to achieve a higher return on investment.

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